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Chapman Construction/Design has completed the second phase of renovations to Southern New Hampshire University’s Robert A. Freese Student Center in Manchester. The work upgraded building systems at an active campus hub, replacing 18 gas-fired rooftop units with electric assemblies and converting interior and exterior lighting to LED with controls.
What changed in the second phase?
According to New England Real Estate Journal’s October 9, 2026 completion report, the latest phase focused on infrastructure rather than a new building project. It replaced 18 gas-fired rooftop HVAC units with full electric assemblies, converted interior and exterior lighting to LED, and added timers, dimmers and other controls intended to limit electricity use when lighting was not needed.
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The units reportedly had lead times of upwards of 64 weeks. That figure describes procurement for this project, not a general benchmark for HVAC equipment.
How did the renovation unfold?
First phase: aesthetics and the building envelope
The earlier summer phase addressed aesthetic improvements and completed a new building envelope so the facility would be weather-tight before students returned. The coverage does not identify the envelope materials or report a project cost.
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Second phase: building systems
The subsequent summer work addressed heating and lighting infrastructure. The two-phase approach let the team sequence aesthetic and envelope work separately from the later systems upgrades.
How was work managed while the center remained in use?
Freese Student Center serves students through an Einstein’s Bagels, bookstore, post office, interfaith room, campus pub, commuter lounge, club offices and wellness center. Chapman coordinated with SNHU, temporarily relocated staff and planned work around occupant safety and continued campus use. Daily building shutdowns for the 2026 work were scheduled around the center’s operations.
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Meagan LaMarca, SNHU’s dean of students, described the center as “at the heart of campus life,” where students connect, find support and build community. She said the renovations were intended to help the space continue serving students while advancing the university’s sustainability and resource-stewardship goals.
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The project report describes measures intended to improve efficiency, but it does not provide post-renovation energy use, emissions or operating-cost results. The available coverage is a project completion account, not an independent post-occupancy evaluation; it therefore does not establish how much energy or money the upgrades saved, or quantify any emissions change.
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What happened to the neighboring building?
The report says Chapman moved on to demolish an underused neighboring building and create greenspace. That work is a separate follow-on project, not part of the reported Freese Student Center renovation scope.
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